"He's certainly as good as any player I've played against. He's a wonderful batsman," Australia captain Michael Clarke said of Sangakkara a day before their Pool A match against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

"His statistics show that in both Test and one-day cricket. He's an absolute gentleman, a lovely, lovely guy."

Considered by many as the most elegant left-handed batsman of the current era, Sangakkara is expected to continue playing Test cricket for some time and his retirement will leave a big void in the Sri Lankan batting line-up.